School Supply Success

This report summarizes the recent school supplies collection aimed at supporting Kerrville ISD students in need after the recent flooding. The primary objectives were to gather necessary secondary school items and to meet defined cost goals to ensure a successful distribution.

Initial Work:

1. Determine lead and partnering donors. 

2. Identify essential school supplies for secondary school students in Kerrville, Texas.

3. Setting a $500.00 fundraising target to support the purchase of supplies.

4. Foster community involvement and increase awareness regarding educational resource disparities.

Collection Efforts:

The collection drive took place from August 1, 2025, to August 18, 2025. Catholic Camper, LLC led efforts and used various strategies for wholesome contributions, for example;

• Community Outreach: We distributed flyers and made announcements in neighborhoods, on social media platforms, and through potential business networking.

Drop-off Location: A designated drop-off point was established, and pick-up times were offered, making it convenient for community members to donate.

• Incentives: To encourage participation, we organized personal meet-ups to highlight the need and address any questions potential donors may have

Distribution:

Supplies were distributed to Julie Mangold at Kerrville ISD, Superintendent’s Office, Kerrville, TX. Positive feedback was received from both the recipient and collaborating partners, highlighting the impact of the donations on students' preparedness for the school year.

Results and Supplies Collected:

We successfully collected over 100 lbs. of items, including notebooks, pencils, Kinder Matts, and other secondary school supplies.

Financial Goals:

Initial fundraising target: $500.00. Amount raised: $465.00.

Community Participation:

Barriga’s & Friends Catering contributed to the drive. A full partnership with Kerrville ISD was established, and five neighboring families donated items.

Conclusion:

The school supplies collection drive finished just under our goal; both our collection and fundraising goals were a humble success. This initiative not only provided essential school supplies to secondary school students in need but also strengthened community ties and raised awareness about educational resource disparities during a disastrous event. Moving forward, we aim to build on this success for future initiatives, expanding our reach and impact to support even more students in our community.

Recommendations

1. Expand Outreach: Collaborate with more local organizations to increase donor engagement.

2. Immediate Disaster Collection: Consider maintaining a continuous collection effort for school supplies throughout the year.

3. Feedback Loop: Establish a mechanism for recipients to provide feedback on the supplies received to tailor future collections better.

Thank you to the following people for making this initiative a success: 

• Manuel and Veronica Ocubo

• Daniel and Aracely Barriga

• Moncia and Tim DeLaCruz

• Julian and Natalie Armedarez

• Maria Frausto

• John Paul Sustaita 

My wife, Marie, and I look forward to our continued collective efforts to support the children of Central Texas.